| | Briefly summarising the existing literature on the causes
and the characteristics of expected climate changes in
India over the coming years, this paper discusses the
ways in which these changes might affect the lives of
the poor. Rising temperatures, changes in rainfall
patterns, and an increased frequency of floods and
droughts are likely to have serious effects on rural
populations in the absence of policies that actively help
these households adjust to their changing geography.
Survey data from villages affected by the Kosi flood of
2008 is used to speculate on how households and
governments are likely to respond to unexpected
weather events. The flood in Bihar rendered much of the
land in the area uncultivable and resulted in large-scale
unemployment. The state, while effective in providing
immediate relief to flood victims, has done little to help
the rural population adapt to their changed geography.
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